Dawn's Departure
by rinzy
Summary: Ch8: Members of United Council increases pressure on both Yzak and Lacus to go into war as another attack on Naturals ensue, while Milly realizes she has her own battles to fight while the rest go to the battlefield. [AxC,KxL,DxM]
1. Surprise! Surprise!

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is the property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, etc. The author claims no right over any of its concepts, characters and locations aside from those created originally for the purposes of the storyline.

A/N: This fic ignores the existence of Gundam Seed Destiny.

Chapter Summary: Asuran, Cagalli, Kira and Lacus meet up in Orb to catch up on each other's lives after four years of peace, but peace doesn't come so easily as one might think.

* * *

Chapter 1: Surprise! Surprise!

Four years after ZAFT and the Earth Alliance finally conceded into a truce and began peace talks, most of the structures on Earth and on PLANT were finally rebuilt. Orb was no exception, with Cagalli Yula Attha being called to succeed her deceased father's position, she had thrown herself into rebuilding the war-ravaged city, and her efforts had paid off. Kira Yamato had returned to Orb with her, and in realizing that no semblance of his old life could be resumed, he had thrown himself into helping Cagalli with her efforts to rebuild what was left of Orb.

Cagalli got out of the car, wondering why Asuran had left a message that asked her to meet him on such short notice. She knew that Asuran was here on business, but he didn't exactly explain to her what he was in Orb for.

Cagalli started as she heard someone calling her name out.

"Cagalli!"

Her face lit up in a smile, as she saw Kira approaching her.

"Hey! What are you doing back here, I thought you had work until later?" Cagalli asked.

Cagalli had extended the invitation to Kira to live with her when the war was over. She had reasoned that since they were siblings, it would be best that way. Unfortunately for Kira, when Cagalli set her mind to something, there was no easy way to stop her.

Kira smiled back, replying.

"Well, Asuran said he had to talk to both of us, so he gave me a call and told me you were on your way back already."

"Oh, then I guess we should go inside and wait for him then." Cagalli said, making her way to the entrance of the house.

Kira followed her, entering the house.

Famus, their butler greeted them at the door, welcoming their arrival.

"Mr. Asuran Zala is waiting for you at the dining room, Ma'am, Sir."

Thanking him, Cagalli and Kira made their way inside the dining room.

"Why is it so dark?" Cagalli frowned, wondering if Famus had been wrong in telling them Asuran was waiting for them in the dining room.

Cagalli bit back a scream as suddenly, there was a pair of arms wrapping around her waist. She gasped, frozen, shock enveloping her. Kira tensed as he heard Cagalli's gasp, but hands also went around his eyes covering them.

Kira smiled, the hands covering his eyes felt warm, and very familiar. The scent of jasmine and lavender also enveloped him, and he slowly relaxed, knowing exactly who's hands it was.

The lights were flipped open, and Cagalli turned to find a pair of warm blue-green eyes staring down at her, his lips quirked into a small smile. Kira chuckled, as the hands covering his face were also removed. He smiled down at Lacus, catching her hands in his.

"Asuran!" Cagalli exclaimed at the same time.

"Surprised?" Asuran whispered against her ear, loosening his arms around Cagalli's waist, amused.

"You scared me!" Cagalli's face was flushed with embarrassment. She hit Asuran's chest, frowning up at him, and while Asuran tried to regain his breath, she realized that there was someone in the room with them.

"Lacus!" Cagalli stated, looking somewhat baffled at the pink-haired girl's presence in Orb. Behind her, the Haro Pink-chan was flapping its ears, miraculously silent.

Kira turned to Lacus. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

Lacus smiled sweetly at him, explaining. "Well, Asuran said both you and Cagalli were hard at work, so I thought it might be nice to surprise you with a dinner where we could all relax. Besides, the four of us haven't seen each other in a few months, so I thought we could take the time and catch up."

"Haro! Haro!", Pink-chan interjected, as if emphasizing the point.

"I see." Kira answered, as he led Lacus to sit down, while Asuran did the same. When everyone was seated, dinner was served.

Dinner was a four-course meal consisting of: appetizer, soup, the main course, and dessert.

"Orb is starting to look like its old self. Everything looks really good." Asuran remarked, while placing a piece of the steamed salmon drizzled with its accompanying sauce inside his mouth, enjoying the rich flavor.

Cagalli shook her head, making a face. "Not even close! There are still a lot of things to be done. Kisaka has his hands full just trying to help me organize which should be prioritized. It's good that everyone is lending a hand to the rebuilding, so things are going pretty fast nowadays, but makes things absolutely crazy for the council members. Negotiations with the nearby countries are also taking up so much time, since we need the resources and materials to rebuild the city, and so do they." she paused in her tirade, sipping some water.

Lacus and Asuran looked at her with interest, both understanding her plight. Asuran recalled the first time he had been present during one of the council meetings, and how Cagalli had steered the council into doing what she wanted. Cagalli was blunt and forceful by nature, knowing exactly which buttons to push when it came to getting what she wanted. But even by being a skillful negotiator, it was difficult to rebuild. All of them knew that even if Earth and PLANT had negotiated peace talks, it did not mean that all Naturals and Coordinators friends –they simply tolerated each other's existence. Therefore, resources were still cautiously hoarded by each side, and distrust was still rampant –even after four years.

"What about PLANT? How has the reconstruction been? " Cagalli interjected, disrupting Asuran's thoughts.

Lacus smiled optimistically. "A lot too has been reconstructed, but as you said, there are still negotiations to be done. We're all hoping for the best"

"That's great!" Kira exclaimed, happy for Lacus.

Time went by quickly, with the conversation centered mainly on the political climates of each country involved in the war. As it was, the four of them had that particular history in common, and too much had happened during the outbreak of the war to simply ignore the topic. Each realized how much luck had played a role for them to able to escape with their lives, and none of them were taking it for granted.

Cagalli took a sip of her drink as she finished her meal. They had been talking for hours, and her eyes were starting to get a little blurry. However, she didn't want to sleep, since she knew both of them would be leaving soon. With their busy schedules, one could never be sure when they'd see each other again. But what Cagalli didn't realize was that Asuran had been keeping his attention on her. He knew that she was getting tired, but was just too stubborn to admit it. She was blinking more often, as if trying to keep her eyes wide open.

Asuran turned to Kira and Lacus, halting their conversation.

"Can you excuse us?" Asuran said, going over to Cagalli, helping her stand up.

Lacus nodded. "Go ahead." She smiled at Asuran, grateful that she'd also be able to talk to Kira alone.

Cagalli stared up at him, an inquisitive look on her face.

"What did you want to talk about?" She asked.

Asuran chuckled, lightly tracing his thumb over the dark lines under Cagalli's eyes.

"You're being a workaholic, Cagalli. You need some sleep." He answered gently.

"But..." she protested, turning to go back to the dining room.

Asuran caught her hand and led her upstairs, despite Cagalli struggling against him.

"Cagalli." He warned, "if you don't cooperate, I'm going to throw you over my shoulder."

Cagalli glared at him, "Asuran Zala, don't you dare...!" Asuran turned to Cagalli and smiled, pulling her against him. "Don't you not want to spend time together? Just us?" He asked gently. Cagalli blushed, not answering.

Athrun continued to lead her along, and paused at the hallway. "Which one?"

Cagalli pointed to the left one, and Asuran led her to the door. He took her hands, enclosing them in his.

"Good night, Cagalli. I'll see you tomorrow."

Cagalli frowned at him. "You'll be here tomorrow?" She asked, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

Asuran chuckled, and nodded, bringing his face close to hers. Cagalli closed her eyes obediently as Asuran covered her mouth with his, kissing her.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a secret underground facility in ZAFT, soldiers were arranged in a military formation. They were wearing the red and black ZAFT uniform, however, there was one missing element—the ZAFT insignia was removed. The former ZAFT military protecting PLANT had long been disbanded, and the facilities had been declared abandoned when the peace treaty was signed.

Overlooking the soldiers, there stood what looked to be a young man addressing the soldiers. The young man couldn't be much older than twenty, with piercing gray eyes that stared down impassively. Dark navy blue hair framed his pale emotionless face, as he continued on with his speech.

"...and today, we revive what had been foolishly stopped four years ago, and this time, we will win. Coordinators will be the new humanity!"

A resounding cheer went up, echoing across the hall. The young man nodded at his audience, making his exit.

"Aya, do you think they're ready?" An aging scientist approached the young man. Aya looked at him answering, "They'll have to be. We've spent the last four years preparing for this. We can't stop now."

Tonight, everything would start. The plan was already in motion, while their targets had already fallen into the trap. Internal political connections had helped, as planned. Aya smiled sardonically, knowing how easy it was to find corrupt politicians to back up an issue, as long as they saw some profit for themselves.

With that backing, they had mobilized their weapons underground, and soon, their goals would be realized. A vast number of coordinators had also backed him up, believing, as he did, that coordinators should be the only race. Aya brushed his hair back, placing his hand on the glass enclosure in front of him. He stared at the G Mobile Suit and the maintenance crew doing the last few, finishing adjustments.

One of the men waved at him, signaling that they were ready. Aya pushed himself off the glass pane, making his way down the hangar.

Aya boarded the Gundam, pressing a few switches that booted up the O/S and the Phase Shift Armor.

"Aya Vasil, Fusillade, launching!"

* * *

Chapter 2 Summary: As Lacus and Kira talk about the future and think that things are finally settling down, Aya Vasil launches his plans into action. This causes the four to re-evaluate the peace they had thought they achieved. Was it only an illusion? 


	2. Thoughts of the Future

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is the property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, etc. The author claims no right over any of its concepts, characters and locations aside from those created originally for the purposes of the storyline.

A/N: First fic ever. Heheh. Since Seed Destiny isn't out yet, this fic ignores its existence. :)

_Thanks goes to KingArthur6687 for reviewing :) _

Chapter 2 Summary: As Lacus and Kira talk about the future and think that things are finally settling down, Aya Vasil launches his plans into action. This causes the four to re-evaluate the peace they had thought they achieved. Was it only an illusion?

* * *

Chapter 2: Thoughts of the Future

Aya Vasil chuckled to himself as he stealthily landed. The night was silent and cold. The venue for the upcoming ceremony was deserted, and preparations having been stopped for the day. Hidden behind the vast expanse of trees, Aya glanced at the podium through his monitor. Naturals who held any significant position in the Earth Alliance would gather in that ceremony the next evening. What they didn't know was that they wouldn't make it back to Earth. He would make sure of that.

His men had already infiltrated the ceremony grounds. Infiltration had taken place months before, where his men had posed as volunteers who wanted to help out with the preparations. He pressed a button on Fusillade, his eyes scanning the data that appeared in front of him. The report stated that the bombs were already in place in sector 1, 6, and 7. These were the sectors where the council and most of the Naturals would be situated. It was simply proof of their distrust against each other that they still segregated seats and tables according to Naturals and Coordinators. Aya looked at the monitor in disgust at the hypocrisy that the event symbolized. The ceremony was a farce wherein two races had decided to coexist just because each side was already too tired to fight the other. Well, I didn't matter-- it made things much simpler for him, He decided.

The mission was a declaration of war against those who believed that Naturals and Coordinators could exist in the same space and time. The death of the united council would push everything in the right direction. Aya already knew which Coordinator politicians would come forward with their sympathies against the 'regrettable' actions of an unknown terrorist faction that had decided to wipe out the council. It would destroy the current unity of Earth and Space, leaving time for what was supposed to have been accomplished four years ago – Coordinator independence against Naturals, with space the line drawn in between them.

Aya himself had put Fusillade in position. Insider information had allowed them to come up with a strategy for the mobile suits that were guarding the venue for the ceremony. He leaned back inside the cockpit; the only thing to wait for was the arrival of the delegates, and then the dream would be realized.

He thought of all the good that would come when Coordinators in PLANT would finally be free from Earth's meddling. Aya's expression turned murderous. Earth and its council were the reason the war had started in the first place, with their economic restrictions and threats, and their cowardly attack against innocents which resulted in the Bloody Valentine tragedy. To have their members taking part in the future of PLANT was unthinkable.

* * *

"No wonder you said you'd be here till today!" Cagalli remarked accusingly at Athrun. Athrun chuckled, "And I can't believe you forgot that you had to attend the ceremony in PLANT."

Cagalli blushed, embarrassed. "Well I would've remembered if I hadn't got so distracted last night!"

"Distracted by what?" Kira called from the stairway, carrying a suitcase for their stay in PLANT.

Cagalli's blush turned from light pink into an overheated red. "Nothing! Can we just go now?! We're going to be late for the shuttle!"

Kira blinked, but turned as one of the other rooms in the hall opened, with Lacus emerging from the open doorway.

"Good Morning." She greeted them, carrying her suitcase. "Ara, am I late?" She blinked.

Kira smiled as Lacus descended down the steps, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"No, you're right on time."

They arrived at the designated area where Lacus' had rented a private shuttle to take them to PLANT. Kira and Athrun had entered first, and had set everybody's suitcases in the overhead compartments, as dictated by flight regulations.

Cagalli sat down and stifled a yawn, covering her mouth. After a few moments, Athrun had settled beside her, while Kira took his seat beside Lacus.

"_Good Morning. The shuttle will be taking off in 5 minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and keep your seats in an upright position while the shuttle launches to space."_

Cagalli fidgeted, already impatient. Athrun looked at her, lips quirking.

"We haven't even took off yet, Cagalli." He remarked innocently.

"I know. It's just that going to Space always takes so long, and it's boring to be cooped up in shuttle, you can't even walk around." Cagalli frowned, fumbling with her seatbelt irritably. She wasn't in the mood to be cooped up in a shuttle for hours, but being a princess of Orb, it seemed like she was always being herded somewhere in a vehicle or a shuttle when she finally went out of her office.

The shuttle taxied along the marked lines, getting into position for its ascent to space. Hands were clenched tightly against the armrest as the shuttle launched and pressure changed within the cabin. The shuttle climbed higher into the atmosphere fighting against the gravity trying to hold it down. Soon enough, pressure normalized as they exited Earth's atmosphere, and the shuttle's systems automatically regulated oxygen and pressure inside the cabins.

Kira was staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought, until Lacus gently touched his arm.

"Kira?"

Kira blinked and looked at Lacus, smiling apologetically.

"Yes?"

"Amy-san wants to know if you want refreshments." She replied.

"Amy...-san?" Kira repeated blankly.

A humanoid robot bleeped, its wheeled feet stopping at the side of Kira and Lacus' seats.

"_Refreshments? Tea, Soda, Juice, Flavored Milk, Water, Champagne, Coffee?"_

Kira noted that everybody, except for Cagalli, whose head was nestled on Athrun's shoulder, asleep, was holding a colored canister with straws sticking out of it.

"Juice please."

The robot bleeped as it confirmed Kira's request, picking out an orange canister and handing it to Kira. It wheeled away as soon as Kira took the canister, and Athrun was looking at the robot with some interest, as it appealed to the part of him that enjoyed tinkering with micro units.

"Distracted?" Lacus tipped her head slightly at Kira, sipping warm tea from a purple-colored canister.

Kira smiled sheepishly, "It's just that I haven't been in space for a long time, so I was thinking of the time when I was onboard the Archangel."

"Ah..." Lacus smiled thoughtfully. "I wonder how everybody else is doing?"

"I'm not really sure." Kira closed his eyes, reminiscing. "I haven't heard from them since that celebration party years ago when the Archangel landed back on earth."

"Don't you ever think about visiting them or getting together with them?" The songstress asked, cradling the warm canister with both hands.

Kira leaned back onto his seat tiredly. "I have, but..." He stared at the orange canister, collecting his thoughts.

Lacus patiently waited for him to continue.

"It's hard to talk to the others without bringing...somebody up." Kira still found it hard to mention her name, her death nagging at his conscience. Seeing others – Sai and Miriallia in particular, reminded him so much of his failure to protect Fllay, and he found that being with them had triggered memories that he'd rather not remember.

"Fllay?" Lacus asked softly.

Kira nodded, taking Lacus' hand. "I still feel guilty, I suppose." Amethyst eyes met aquamarine ones apologetically. "I'm sorry and...thank you for putting up with me" Kira whispered quietly, his hand tightening on Lacus'.

Lacus smiled, shaking her head at him. Kira relaxed, feeling safe next to her, her quiet presence always seeming to calm him whenever issues like these came to torment him. He sometimes thought that he needed to do something in return, but when he asked her if she wanted him to do anything for her, she had always replied that being with him was good enough. Taking her cue, he had made a decision that he hoped would make her happy, it was time to move on with his life, with Lacus included in it.

"Lacus," Kira smiled, "After I finish this project in Orb, I'd like to move to PLANT, so I can see you more often."

That announcement drew a smile from the pink-haired songstress.

"That's great!" She looked up at him, still smiling. "But won't Cagalli be upset with you suddenly leaving her behind?"

Kira chuckled. "I think Cagalli will understand that I'm old enough to make my decisions. Besides," he lowered his voice, whispering in Lacus' ear. "I think Athrun has plans."

Their landing interrupted Lacus from asking Kira what Athrun's plans were, as the shuttle door was opened and the group disembarked. Lacus was soon swept away by the agent coordinating her performance, and so was Cagalli, who had to change and prepare for the appearance of the council later on.

* * *

Aya fiddled with the switches in his Gundam, watching the songstress singing her trademark song, "Shizukana Yoruni". While Aya did not believe in the appearance of the Natural's on their space, he did believe in this particular ceremony of honoring the dead, and the soon to be dead. Aya checked his watch, eyes narrowing.

Aya glanced at the programme, it showed that Lacus was indeed the last performer for the ceremony, and the council would present its speech.

The united council formed after peace talks were initiated was formed of members of the old council of PLANT, Orb, and the Earth Alliance. Their representative had left the table and was making her way up the stage, dressed in a gown of light green with a white sash that was placed over her left shoulder and ended on the right side of her waist.

"Cagalli Yula Athha" Aya stated, staring at the monitor.

"You're about to see history rewritten."

Aya counted down silently.

"...3 ...2 ...1."

The hidden bombs hit red, setting off explosions that shook the ground. Tables occupied by the council and Naturals were thrown back by the explosion, the people themselves flung around like weightless dolls in the air, falling down with a sickening thud.

Cagalli gasped at the scene before her, the speech she was about to give forgotten as she ran back down from the podium, intent on looking for the survivors of the council. She was intercepted by Athrun, who pulled her out of harm's way as the makeshift podium started to collapse from the blasts that followed the explosion.

Cagalli's brown eyes reflected the flames that had begun to consume the entire site. She stared blankly while people had started to run in all directions, trying to get away.

"No! No! No! Why did they have to do this!? Why would someone destroy everything we've worked for?!" She screamed.

Athrun held her, as he stared at the carnage that had taken place in front of them. Spent, Cagalli collapsed against him, losing consciousness.

* * *

Chapter 3 Summary: Kira finds Lacus amidst the chaos, and what he sees sends him right back to the past he had chosen to forget. Aya glories at the success of his plans, and as he prepares the next step to liberation, so does Cagalli, who refuses to surrender against those who want to shatter the fragile peace.


	3. Unanswerable Questions

* * *

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is the property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, etc. The author claims no right over any of its concepts, characters and locations aside from those created originally for the purposes of the storyline.

More A/N end of chapter: Chapter 3 of my first fanfic ever. Also, Since Seed Destiny isn't out yet, therefore this fic ignores its existence. :)

Chapter 3 Summary: Kira finds Lacus amidst the chaos, and what he sees sends him right back to the past he had chosen to forget. Yzak and Dearkka make their appearance while Cagalli refuses to surrender against those who want to shatter the fragile peace.

* * *

Chapter 3: Unanswerable Questions

The festivities had been broken by the explosion. Fragments of the decorations had burned up and were scattered across the ground. People were running aimlessly, simply trying to get away from the flames that threatened to engulf them.

Kira swallowed, a lump had formed in his throat when he heard the all too familiar sounds of explosions. While Athrun had run towards the podium where Cagalli was at the first blast, Kira had run backstage, looking for Lacus. His thoughts turned ugly as he ran, and he felt his heart throbbing wildly against his chest. He couldn't see what was happening behind the podium, and Fllay's death played again and again in his mind. But it wasn't Fllay's face that haunted him now; it was someone with a far gentler face. She had light pink hair and aquamarine eyes, and she had been taken away from him in an explosion. Panic engulfed him, and he ran and ran until he felt like his lungs were going to burst. Kira reached backstage, expecting the worst.

He threw open the door that led to the changing rooms, and ran inside. The force of his gesture had the door slamming violently against the wall. The people inside the changing room were in chaos, throwing on whatever clothes they had and hastily making their escape. He fought against the flow of people rushing outside as he desperately searched for Lacus, shouting her name at the top of his lungs.

"Kira!" Lacus ran to him. "What's happening?"

Kira enveloped her in a crushing hug, unable to speak. Adrenaline was rushing through him, and the fear he had felt at the thought of losing Lacus shook him to his very core. Had she been outside when the bombs exploded, she certainly would've been hurt. His heart still beat violently against his chest as he tried to calm down, but as thoughts of Lacus flooded his mind, he found himself gripping her tighter against him, assuring himself that nothing untoward had happened, and she was alive.

"That hurts..." Lacus gasped out as Kira's grip became painful.

Her voice brought Kira out of his self-made nightmare and brought him back to reality. He loosened his tight hold on the songstress, but he did not let go. His indigo eyes met her aquamarine ones apologetically.

"I had thought..." Kira's voice broke, as he tried to continue, his eyes felt misty as tears that hadn't appeared since four years ago threatened to form in his eyes. "It was happening again..."

Lacus shook her head, placing her hand against Kira's cheek, understanding what he was feeling.

"I'm here Kira." She whispered, trying to reassure him again.

Kira swallowed painfully, nodding. "Let's get out of here."

Kira exited the changing rooms with Lacus, and abruptly froze in his tracks, startled Lacus bumped onto his back. He felt his body give an involuntary shudder at the sight before him. It was something he had hoped would not be built again, and never again used for war. It had been a catalyst that had brought Space and Earth to a full fledged war, leaving a trail of death and destruction behind it. Seeing it again triggered memories, it had both been his blessing and his curse. A blessing that allowed gave him power to fight against those who tried to destroy what he tried to protect, yet a curse in which the nameless men he had killed using that power haunted him until now.

A Gundam was destroying the mobile suits that were stationed on the perimeter of the venue. It was painted a dark gray and navy blue, brandishing a beam saber. Rounds fired from Vulcan guns on the side of its head managed to wipe out the helicopter teams that were trying to prevent it from inflicting more damage to the ceremony grounds.

Kira forced himself to move, brushing off the memories that threatened to overwhelm him. Kira decided that it wouldn't do well to die just yet. Kira pulled Lacus in the opposite direction of where the Gundam was heading, He hoped that its cameras wouldn't register their presence and that the pilot wouldn't make them his target.

Perhaps that was too much to hope for.

They had only ran a few meters when the Gundam turned, sensing movement. Kira clasped Lacus by the waist, guiding her through the dense foliage, where he hoped the trees would shield them from the Gundam's vision. Luckily for them, reinforcements had arrived, and the Gundam's attention was diverted to fighting them off instead of following Kira and Lacus.

They bumped into Athrun who was carrying an unconscious Cagalli on his back.

Kira gave a concerned look at Cagalli's limp form, and met Athrun's eyes.

"She's just unconscious." He said quietly, still moving as he glanced up at the night sky which was illuminated by the flames, walking in the direction away from it.

They soon emerged in a desolate spot away from the battlefield. Three young people stared at the flames, and felt the world they had fought for four years ago suddenly taken from them. The people sacrificed in the war four years ago were now again disturbed from their slumber. Kira clenched his hand tightly. Questions of who did it, and why they did it plagued his mind.

Athrun stared blankly at the scene before him, disappointment flooding through him. He shifted slightly so that Cagalli's weight on his back was balanced properly. Political ramifications were already being processed in his mind. Most of the Naturals were wiped out, this would lead people to appear that Coordinators would be behind the attack, and not to mention the problems surfacing now that members of the united council who attended were killed. A lot of finger-pointing would certainly occur there. Athrun bit his lip. If this escalated, it would lead to another war between Naturals and Coordinators. He knew that there were people on both sides who would fuel that war, egos and animosity was not something that could be removed even by disarmament and peace treaties. His eyes hardened at the thought. He couldn't let it get that far.

Apparently, Kira had sifted through the situation in a similar fashion as Athrun. He turned to Athrun. "The people won't let this happen again, will they?" He asked, his voice tormented.

"We must have hope in the people." Lacus interjected simply. "They'll remember the mistakes of four years ago and treat this as an obstacle to the unification of Space and Earth, instead of one side trying to take advantage and attack one another."

The former pilots remained silent, both dearly hoping it was true.

* * *

"Achoo!" Yzak sneezed. He huffed grumpily. Coordinators were not supposed to get sick, nor were they supposed to be confined to something as undignified as 'bedrest'. How he had gotten afflicted with anything was beyond him. So far, he had been sneezing repeatedly, something which he hadn't done before. To top it off, Dearkka was mercilessly teasing him about being as weak as a Natural.

The Natural doctor talked about something called 'allergies'. And Dearkka had bursts into fits of laughter. Yzak had scowled at him and threw him out of the room, muttering something about being allergic to Dearkka's laughing.

"Achoo!" Yzak sneezed again, scowling.

A knock sounded at his door, and he turned, scowling. "Who is it?"

"It's me. Dearkka."

Yzak opened the door, scowling at him. "If you aren't going to say anything important—" He paused at Dearkka's serious expression.

"Did you watch the late night news?" Dearkka asked, his face unreadable.

"No. I don't think there's late night news this _early_ in the morning." Yzak gave a scornful glance at the clock on his bedside, which read 2:32AM.

Dearkka stepped inside, turning the television on. A scene of the devastated gathering was flashed on screen.

"That was the party you were supposed to attend today." Dearkka remarked. "The united council who attended was wiped out. You're chose the right day to get some allergy, you lucky bastard." He drawled out, albeit his voice was a little flat, obviously upset about the events that had transpired.

Yzak didn't reply. His eyes were fixed on the screen in front of him.

A communicator on Yzak's table beeped, alerting him that a video call was being patched through.

Yzak put the broadcast on mute, pressing the button that allowed the call to go through.

Athrun's face flashed on the screen, he looked tired and tense, and he didn't speak immediately.

"What do you want, Athrun?" Yzak asked, skipping the pleasantries. Despite both being in Le Creuset, they had never spoken to each other on a friendly basis. Too much rivalry had already taken place for Yzak to comfortably call Athrun his 'friend'.

"I need a favor." Athrun stated.

"What?"

"I want to know if there are still recoverable blueprints and records of either Justice or Freedom, and if you do, I want it."

That favor, Yzak was not expecting.

"What the hell do you need a Gundam for?!"

At that point, Dearkka interrupted Yzak.

"After the explosions, a Gundam was seen leading other mobile suits to destroy the area."

Yzak turned violently at Dearkka.

"And you only tell that to me now?!" He scowled.

"Only a Gundam can match up to another Gundam." Athrun stated flatly. "You know that as well as I do. Orb and the Earth's Alliance records were destroyed when the peace treaties were signed. Obviously, even if ZAFT's records were destroyed, somebody got a hold of it beforehand and had built another one."

"Even if I did find one, you wouldn't be able to build one in time to stop him." Yzak countered.

"Then do we just sit idly, watching more people die because we have no means of defense?" Athrun asked quietly.

The questions and problems had no plausible answers at the moment. Yzak and Athrun stared at each other on the screen, at a silent stand off. As much as Yzak hated to admit it, pitting a pathetic GINN against a Gundam piloted by a Coordinator would be like sending a man to his death sentence. And there would be no choice but to fight again at this time. Their adversary had already resulted to arms, which meant that there was little chance that the issue could be settled diplomatically. Yzak scowled again as the so called allergy threatened to send him to a fit of sneezing.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do."

"You owe me big time for this, Zala." He remarked snidely.

"I'm aware of that." Athrun managed to grin at him good naturedly, pressing the button, ending their conversation.

* * *

Behind Athrun, a figure stirred, her honey brown eyes half-opening.

"Who are you talking to?" Cagalli's sleep-tinged voice reached him as she closed her eyes again, stretching languidly. Problems or not, Cagalli could not be easily roused from sleep. It would take a few moments before reality would check in.

"Nobody." Athrun lied smoothly, as he walked barefoot to the side of the bed, seating himself. "How do you feel?" He asked softly, raising his hand, brushing her unruly hair from her face.

Cagalli tugged his hand and made a space for him on the bed, not answering him immediately. Athrun heeded her wordlessly, fixing the pillows and leaned against them, while Cagalli settled against him, making herself comfortable against his warm body. Athrun's arm instinctively went around Cagalli's waist, resting his cheek against her hair.

"I'm fine. Angry at what happened, but fine." Was Cagalli's husky reply.

"What are the Princess of Orb's plans?" Athrun asked against her hair, his hand drawing imaginary circles on her back.

"I told you not to call me that." She replied drolly, and opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. Athrun was surprised. Usually, when Cagalli woke up she was grumpy, and her brown eyes hazy. This time, her eyes were crystal clear, focused, and alert.

"As for them," Cagalli held his gaze, her eyes lit with determination.

"They won't win."

* * *

A/N contd: The chapter is slightly different from the summary, since I decided to switch the sequence a bit. Yzak and Dearkka were supposed to appear in Chapter 4, but I switched that scene with the one where Aya was supposed to appear.

Chapter 4 Summary: Dearkka and Milly meet again as Cagalli, Lacus and Yzak coordinate with what's left of the council to hold the fragile peace together. Kira revisits some of his demons, while Athrun makes his decision.

Thanks for reading! : )

_**KingArthur6687** : Thanks again. :)) Heheh, and as you see with the chapter, everyone's okay and alive. ;D  
**Yuugiri** : Thank you for reviewing! ;D Hm, I'm not sure how to answer your question without giving away anything. Heheh. Only that...I hope that Aya doesn't come out as villainous as Azrael did in Seed. :D _


	4. The Morning After

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is the property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, etc. The author claims no right over any of its concepts, characters and locations aside from those created originally for the purposes of the storyline.

More A/N end of chapter: Chapter 4 of my first fanfic ever. Also, Since Seed Destiny isn't out yet, therefore this fic ignores its existence. :) Thanks go to those who review and encourage me to continue, it honestly keeps me going!

Chapter 4 Summary: Dearkka and Milly meet again as Cagalli, Lacus and Yzak coordinate with what's left of the council to hold the fragile peace together. Kira revisits some of his demons, while Athrun makes his decision.  
  
Cover doodle for the curious: hemisophia .com/oekaki/pictures/35.png

* * *

Chapter 4: The Morning After  
  
Newspapers around Space and Earth all had the same headline that day. Events of the bombing had reached Earth and Naturals had fallen into panic. Rumors had started to be spread that Coordinators would again attack Earth. So far, the absence of an official press release by the council had caused outrageous speculations and rumors to buzz around the conference hall. 

Cagalli Yula Athha scowled as she slipped on a one-piece dress, muttering an expletive about having to wear a damn dress she couldn't zip up herself. As she fiddled with the zipper at the back, trying to close it, a pair of hands had pushed hers away, closing the zipper for her. Her hair, worn slightly longer since four years ago, was gently pushed back, and a soft kiss was placed on her bare shoulder.

Cagalli turned around, meeting the sleep-tinged emerald eyes that regarded her warmly. Cagalli felt herself calm down, and there were no words spoken as she wrapped her arms around Athrun, and he lowered his head to kiss her. After a while, they broke apart, Athrun smiled, and briefly tightened his hold on her waist, hugging her to him.

"Good luck, princess." He whispered as he let her go. "I'll see you later."

Cagalli nodded, slipping on the matching blazer for her dress. She straightened her shoulders and brought her chin up, exiting the hotel room. She knocked on the door on the adjacent room, waiting for it to be answered.

Lacus opened the door and smiled at her. "Good Morning, Cagalli. Just a moment." Signs of strain marred the songstress' normally cheerful face as she tossed her hair back, took a coat and closed the door behind her.

"What's wrong Lacus?" Cagalli asked, as they walked side by side towards the elevators.

Lacus smiled slightly at Cagalli's perceptiveness.

"You're all right giving this press conference, aren't you?"

Lacus nodded, and they stepped inside the lift.

"It's not the press conference I'm worried about." She admitted.

"Is it about Kira?" Cagalli said as she pressed the proper floor.

Lacus nodded.

"He doesn't have to worry about a thing." Cagalli smiled slightly. "I won't let my baby brother fight again."

Yzak was impatiently waiting for them at the lobby, his arms crossed. What was it about women and their rituals that made them take too long in something as simple as putting on clothes, he wondered. He breathed a sigh of impatience as they finally emerged from the elevator.

"Good morning, Yzak." Lacus greeted politely, smiling at him.

Yzak gave both of them a nod in greeting.

Dearkka appeared, smiling at the three.

"Well, the press is hot and ready to hear you three." He bowed politely at Lacus, and gave Cagalli a small smirk.

"This way." He murmured, leading them through the corridors, and onto a meeting room where there would be a short meeting of what exactly to say to the press.

The trio entered, and screens in front of them projected images of other council members who had managed to survive. They sat down while Dearkka shut the door behind him, ensuring that they were not disturbed. As soon as Dearkka exited, the council spoke.

"_This is an outrage! Are Coordinators declaring war against Earth? Well?" _One of the members of the Earth council had made the comment, his face angry.

"_How dare you say an irresponsible comment such as that! Don't forget that Coordinators also died in that attack yesterday!" _A PLANT representative interjected.

Yzak inwardly cursed. They only had 10 minutes to make a decision on what to tell the press and here they were, trying to blame each other for the attack.

Cagalli scowled openly. She stood up.

"We've all been able to live in peace for the last few years. I don't think anybody among either side would just suddenly attack." She snapped ferociously. "All of Earth's and Space's resources have been concentrated on rebuilding, and we've only just about finished doing so! To think that either side would waste countless resources rebuilding, and then destroy all of it is unimaginable!"

Lacus also stood up. "We are part of a united council that helps keeps peace between PLANT and Earth through negotiations instead of the use of arms." She said firmly. "Can we not take this as a part of our duties, without trying to place blame in one another? From how things look, it is also apparent that someone is trying to make sure that the united council is wiped out. From their actions, it is obvious that they do not want us to continue our peacekeeping efforts." She reminded them.

Yzak stood up. "In that light, I believe that we should take precautions just in case they attack again, but I suggest we withhold judgment of who is to blame for this mess. It doesn't matter right now who did it."

One of the council members finally nodded.

"_Announce to the press that it was a terrorist attack against the united council. We must reassure them that Naturals and Coordinators will not go to war for this." _

Cagalli sighed in relief. Thoughts of war against each faction were not present, or at least, would not be acted upon—for now.

"_Also, families of those who died yesterday must be sent condolences, and hints that proper preparations are being made should be given, lest they think we're being negligent."_

"_We'll leave the details to the three of you."_

Yzak, Cagalli and Lacus bowed as one by one, the monitors went off. Lacus let out a long sigh while Cagalli murmured something about old pricks under her breath.

Yzak straightened his coat.

"They'd go right into another war without us to stop them." He scowled.

"True." Cagalli answered scornfully as she pressed the button that opened the door.

---

Dearkka led them to the podium where they would make their announcement. He sighed. Yzak had confided in him earlier that morning how things might go when he went into the meeting. But the council's decision would be kept to the three of them until it was finally time to announce it. Dearkka could only hope it would be the good news amidst all the mess.

Dearkka felt his heart pounding in trepidation. Distracted, he barely made it to the back of the room when he crashed to somebody.

He instinctively caught her, but the momentum still caused them to fall on the floor. The person he bumped into fell on top him, and he gave a low grunt at the weight. When he opened his eyes, he was staring into a pair of very familiar blue-green eyes, with a face framed with light-brown hair.

They stared at each other, surprised.

"What are you doing here!?" They exclaimed in unison, scrambling away from each other.

Miriallia Haww gaped at him.

A burst of laughter came from behind Dearkka, revealing an amused Cagalli. Yzak looked bored, and muttered, "Are you two done gaping at each other?"

Dearkka flushed and stood up, offering his hand to Miriallia, who had also turned red. She hesitantly accepted his help, placing her hand in his. Dearkka led her to one of the seats, while the other three took their positions in front of the podium.

The crowd fell into a hush as Yzak picked up the microphone. However, most of the announcement, aside from not having war and Lacus offering her condolences –went through Dearkka's head as he got distracted at the presence of the woman beside him. Her looks didn't change much, he noted. In a nutshell, she was still pretty. He stopped himself before he sighed again. He was starting to feel like a woman with all this sighing he seemed to be doing. He had thought that after not seeing her in so long, he'd eventually forget about the feelings he had for her when he was aboard the Archangel. Apparently not, he realized, glowering.

"Whatever your staring at, it's probably dead by now." A voice interrupted his thoughts. He gave a start as he turned to her.

"What?"

"You've been staring at the bottom of the podium rather murderously for a while now." Mirillia remarked casually.

This left Dearkka bleakly wondering how the hell he always felt that he managed to make a fool out of himself when he was with this woman.

* * *

Kira threw off the covers that had become entangled around his legs. He felt cold, even if the room's temperature was hot. Images had come to haunt him again, his mind's eye flashing him scenes from four years ago—when he had desperately piloted Strike so Sai and the others wouldn't get crushed by the battle, when he had fought against the Andy Bartfeld's Bakkou, when he had cut through Gundam Blitz... 

A tremor passed through him as memories bombarded him, coming back with a vengeance. But more than the people he had killed, what disturbed him more were the faces of the people he had failed to protect. Kira's hand clenched over the sheets as he fought the wave of anger directed at himself, how had he lived while those he had desperately tried to protect had not? Were their spirits seeking vengeance now? Were they there to throw him back to the chaos to ensure that he died because he had failed to protect them? Kira's breathing turned unsteady as guilt tore at his mind. But to go back to the battlefield meant that he would kill more people. Did one death against the enemy make up for each death that he had failed to prevent? Somehow that even made less sense to him. Kira opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling. He remembered a question he had asked Athrun a long time ago. He had asked why he was privileged enough to breath, eat, and live while so many others had died around them. Athrun had not given him an answer, only a reassurance that he was not the only one who felt it. He wondered if Athrun ever found the answer to that question, or if he could find it himself.

Kira sat up as he considered it. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Standing up, he opened it.

"Can I come in?" Athrun spoke from the other side of the door.

"Sure." Kira stepped back and allowed him inside.

Athrun shut the door behind him, facing Kira. "I came to tell you something."

Kira waited for Athrun to continue. Athrun took a deep breath as he explained. "I'm going to join Yzak's defense committee that's going to be formed to fight against the Gundam."

"Does Cagalli know about any of this?" Kira asked, not surprised.

Athrun shook his head. "No, she has enough problems with the united council. I didn't want to worry her just yet."

"She won't be happy to hear that you're going back to the frontlines, Athrun." Kira answered.

Athrun smiled wanly. "I know, but I already have military experience, and I can't just let them kill off the united council, despite Cagalli's insistence that they're well guarded."

Kira smiled back. "When do you suppose we should tell them?"

Athrun's eyes widened. "We? Kira, you don't need to do this! You've gone through enough as it was! "

Kira's amethyst eyes met Athrun's, no longer tormented like the day before, but blessed with clarity of purpose. To sit and watch everything go by, Kira couldn't do it anymore. Perhaps he could not answer the question of why he still lived, but there were things that he realized by now. To live was to struggle, and while he was not given instrumental power to change fate, the fact that he was alive simply meant that he was another individual who could make a difference, another individual whose efforts could add up to the larger scheme of things.

"I want to protect this world, Athrun."

* * *

Chapter 5 Summary: As Athrun and Kira announce their intentions to Cagalli and Lacus, Aya Vasil realizes that it is Lacus, Cagalli and Yzak who he needs to eliminate to push history in the right direction. 

A/N contd: The part where Kira refers to asking Athrun about being alive is in the 5-minute OVA.

* * *

Replies: 

_**KingArthur6687**: Actually, it was because I had more plans for Kira. Hurting Lacus pretty much means crippling Kira, and he still has parts to play on later chapters, so...:D As for Yzak, grin Thanks!  
**Chibi Fyrefly**: I'll see what I can do about your request, but it probably won't come till later chapters of the story. :)  
**Yuugiri: **3! Some of your questions will be answered in the next chapter. Also, thanks for the fav ;; That's just so awesome. XD  
**Bloody Kitsune**: Thanks for the review! On Freedom, you'll just have to see :).  
__Thanks also goes to **XStarryNightX **for reviewing. _


	5. Outbreak

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is the property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, etc. The author claims no right over any of its concepts, characters and locations aside from those created originally for the purposes of the storyline.

A/N: Chapter 5! Chapter updates starting chapter 5 will probably be made over a weekly basis. Thanks for reading! Thanks also go to those who review and encourage me to continue, it honestly keeps me going!

Chapter 5 Summary: As Athrun and Kira announce their intentions to Cagalli and Lacus, Aya Vasil realizes that it is Lacus, Cagalli and Yzak who he needs to eliminate to push history in the right direction.

* * *

Chapter 5: Outbreak

Aya stared at the television screen, his hand lightly resting over the remote control. He played the public announcement over and over again, his steel-gray eyes thoughtful.

He admitted to himself that he had made a miscalculation. He had underestimated the amount of influence the younger council members had on the majority of the council members. It was unexpected that three young individuals could be charismatic enough to convince other members of the council to stand united and consider his declaration of war a terrorist attack instead. His gray eyes narrowed as his gaze skimmed over each individual, wondering why they had chosen a path that hindered Coordinator's growth as the new humanity. What could they possibly have seen in Naturals? He pondered.

Aya stared at three folders sitting on his desk, and flipped them open. He scanned folders containing shots taken of the council members in their natural environment. He stopped at a picture taken that morning and his lips curved into a small, satisfied smile, setting the picture aside. It was a candid picture taken through a hotel window that morning, but it was clear enough to distinguish the faces of two young people locked in a passionate embrace.

Another full scale attack now would simply hinder his mission. People were starting to believe what he had done to help history along was simply as mundane as a terrorist attack. So instead, a change of strategy needed to be employed. People who had emotions such as love were simply marionettes to the emotion, Aya mused. And he fully intended to make use of such a powerful tool. He stood up, pressing the intercom button.

"_Keyara."_

"_Sir?"_

"_Did you see the press conference?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Then you know what I need."_

* * *

Athrun had went back to his room after speaking with Kira. He was thinking of a way to tell Cagalli about his decision. But whatever he would said, Cagalli's reaction most probably wouldn't be pleasant. Knowing her, she wouldn't be pleased to see him holding any kind of weapon that could kill. He leaned against the window, staring outside. He didn't know if she would understand why he decided to fight again.

Cagalli entered the room, throwing off the coat she had put on that morning. Frustration was evident on her face as she made her way directly to Athrun.

"Rough morning?" Athrun shifted his gaze from the outside scenery and turned to look at Cagalli.

"Everything's suddenly become so complicated. The Press want answers, like who and what's being done about it, and even if we assure people, there are those who think that someone is out to declare war again. It's frustrating to see someone cause all this trouble and not know what they wanted to accomplish in the first place!" Cagalli answered, running her fingers through her blonde hair in annoyance.

"What does the council think about it?" Athrun asked lightly, catching Cagalli's wrist.

"Them---!" Cagalli shouted before catching herself and lowering her voice. Wondering if anybody was listening in, she pulled Athrun to her and whispered something rather derogatory about the other council members in his ear.

Athrun chuckled, "I'm sure you can take them on."

Cagalli nodded, being allowed to pour out her impatience over the other council members had made her feel better. She managed to smile, realizing that Athrun had probably intended that.

"Have you had lunch?" She asked, noting the time.

Athrun shook his head. "Kira and I were waiting to take both of you out to lunch."

"Oh? You two could have gone ahead if you were hungry." Cagalli said, slipping her coat back on.

"Well, we thought it might be fun for the four of us to relax and eat out. Who knows when we'll have the time to see each other again when you go back to Orb tomorrow, right?" Athrun said casually, placing his hand at the small of Cagalli's back, leading her out the door.

They met Lacus and Kira in front of the elevator, and made their way into a quaint restaurant in on of the less noticeable areas around PLANT. They entered the establishment, which was empty aside from the bartender polishing glasses, and a waiter who was standing by the doorway. Taking their seats, the foursome quickly decided and gave their orders to the waiter, relishing the chance to be left alone, away from the press.

Athrun and Kira exchanged a look, neither looking forward to the subject they wanted to broach with the girls.

The door opened again to reveal Dearkka and Miriallia. Kira raised his hand and waved in their direction, while Athrun asked to be transferred to a table for six.

"I didn't know you were in PLANT, Milly." Kira remarked, his gaze flicking from Milliaria to Dearkka, who had just seated himself.

"Oh, it's for work." Miriallia smiled, while Dearkka threw a surprised look at her.

"Work?"

Miriallia nodded. "I just started work as a photojournalist." She paused, looking at his incredulous expression.

"You mean you could have been blown up yesterday?" Dearkka's voice sounded unnaturally strained.

"What a nice way to put it, Dearkka." A voice behind them quipped dryly.

Dearkka turned and looked at behind him, seeing Yzak staring at them with an unreadable expression.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Athrun told me he'd be here." Yzak shrugged, offering no immediate explanation. An additional seat was placed for him.

Cagalli glanced sharply at Athrun, who returned her gaze calmly. He looked down at his plate as he explained softly.

"I asked him to find blueprints for Freedom or Justice."

"What?!" Cagalli stared at him incredulously, while beside her, Lacus had gasped softly.

"Why?!" Cagalli had stood up from her chair, leaning against the table, her hands fisted.

"Did you find it?" Kira asked, ignoring, for the moment, Cagalli's outburst.

Yzak nodded. "We've managed to reconstruct the file. Apparently, when the agreement to destroy the files was signed, the way to destroy it wasn't specified. They thought that deleting it off the system would be enough, but they didn't realize that their deletion process had left vestiges of the file and the fragments could be reconstructed, and missing parts could pretty much be filled in."

"That's just irresponsible!" Lacus exclaimed, shaking her head sadly. "So much people died yesterday..."

"They would have attacked even without a Gundam." Dearkka interrupted, shaking his head. "The Gundam just participated in the attack, but most of the casualties were caused by the bombs that went off."

"What are you going to do with the blueprints?!" Cagalli interrupted again, her voice laced with impatience.

Yzak glared at Cagalli. "It should be obvious, shouldn't it?"

"It wouldn't prove anything even if you used it!" Cagalli replied angrily.

"Wouldn't it?" Athrun looked at her quietly.

Kira gently pulled Cagalli to sit down. "None of us want to fight again." He stated simply. "But what happens if we don't? Do we stand by watching him destroy everything we've worked so hard to accomplish, even if we know we might be able to stop him?"

"But for everybody to risk their lives again..." Mirillia interjected softly.

"It's just something that needs to be done." Dearkka gave her a sideways glance, his cocky grin in place.

Athrun nodded. "We can't let any of you be hurt right now." He explained, his gaze fixed on Cagalli. "We know better than anybody what the Gundam is capable of."

"But to just build another one!" Cagalli exclaimed, her eyes troubled. The chaos that had escalated with Orb helping build the Gundams in the first place was not lost on her. The Gundams held so much power under the control of Coordinators that nobody would be able to predict what would happen if they pitted one Gundam against another. Also, where the battlefield would take place would surely be devastated, should the Gundams engage in combat within PLANT or Earth.

Lacus folded her hands on her lap, coming to a decision. She herself had told as much to Kira that simply the heart or the will couldn't fulfill someone's hopes. One needed an instrument of power to accomplish what they wanted. She raised her aquamarine eyes to Yzak.

"Would you like engineers in the Klein faction to come and help, Yzak?" She asked serenely.

Everyone turned to Lacus, surprised.

"I just believe that we need some way to protect ourselves." She explained softly. "If they do decide to attack again, we need something to draw their fire away from the civilians."

Yzak nodded his assent. "It'll make everything go faster. We'll go over the details later."

* * *

Dearkka and Mirillia were making their way back to the hotel Mirillia was staying in. They had walked back in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Dearkka looked hesitantly at her, when he finally asked.

"So what do you plan to do now?"

"I hadn't expected them to come to that decision." Mirillia replied truthfully as she looked up at him.

"What about your work?" Dearkka asked.

Mirillia frowned at him. "What is that supposed to mean?!"

Dearkka cringed. He had somehow offended her again without meaning to.

"I won't snoop around and try to take pictures, if that's what you mean." She scowled up at him.

"I didn't mean it that way..." Dearkka said, trying to placate her. "I just wanted to know what you plan on doing with your work, now that all these happened..."

"Oh." Mirillia looked away from him, slightly embarrassed.

They fell back to silence, until Dearkka felt Mirillia tug on his sleeve.

"Hey Dearkka."

"Yeah?"

"Don't die...okay?"

Dearkka smiled, his eyes closing as he tipped his head back and he opened his eyes again to stare up the bright blue sky. Life suddenly wasn't so bad.

"Sure thing, Milly."

* * *

A knock was heard outside Aya's quarters, he turned slightly at the sound.

"Enter."

The door opened to reveal a young woman dressed in uniform, her dark green hair flowing down her back, and alert amber eyes scanning the room.

"Should you be so relaxed?"

"Why shouldn't I be, Keyara?"

"I could've been holding a gun when I was entering the room, Aya."

Aya shrugged nonchalantly. "Do you have information for me?"

Keyara nodded slightly. "The princess has reservations for a shuttle ride back to Orb tomorrow morning."

Aya smiled.

"Perfect."

* * *

Chapter 6 Summary: Cagalli confronts Athrun about his decision, while Lacus and Kira say their goodbyes for the battle ahead. Cagalli makes her way back to Orb, but will she be safe? Aya Vasil launches phase 1 of his attack against the remaining council members.  
  
A/N: I have some oekakis up for this fic. Mainly art on how Aya Vasil looks like, and another one. . I don't know if anybody is interested in seeing them, but just send me an email if you want me to send you the url where it's at.

* * *

Replies:

_**KingArthur 6687**: Well, we'll have to see what happens if they do screw up, don't we? grin As for Yzak, I can see him fulfilling both. He's a hothead, but very responsible with strong leadership capabilities, don't you think? Also, that's for always reviewing and adding me to your favorites! ;)  
**Yuugiri: **LoL! You'll just have to see what I have in store for Aya. XD Maybe in the next chapter? Haha.  
**Chibi Fyrefly: **Hehe, I'll try. But usually, my chapters are kept 1600-1800 words long. :)  
  
_Also, thanks to **_DJ(), Angel of Dreams, AsuranXKagari-Forever, Doctor Kiba, M.S Arashi Sumeragi, Witch01, and lightyearsaway( )_ **for reviewing!


	6. Duty and Destiny

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is the property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, etc. The author claims no right over any of its concepts, characters and locations aside from those created originally for the purposes of the storyline.

A/N: Chapter 6! Uh, yep, it took a while. Sorry! Mostly Athrun and Cagalli for now ;D

Chapter 6 Summary: Cagalli confronts Athrun about his decision, while Lacus and Kira say their goodbyes for the battle ahead. Cagalli makes her way back to Orb, but will she be safe? Aya Vasil launches phase 1 of his attack against the remaining council members.

* * *

Chapter 6: Destiny and Duty

"_When the time comes, you'll realize naturally where you need to be and what you need to do...because you have the "SEED" inside of you."_

* * *

"How could you not tell me first?! Do you just want to go back to war again?!" Cagalli turned to Athrun, her brown eyes alit with anger.

They had just entered the hotel room after coming back from lunch, and Cagalli had not said a word on their way back, her silence indicative of how she was feeling. She then tossed her blazer on the bed, obviously feeling irate.

"We aren't fighting to cause a war, Cagalli. We're trying to prevent that from happening." Athrun replied calmly.

"By building more weapons?! By fighting them?! It's what caused the war to escalate in the first place!" She snapped.

"Do you suggest we sit and watch while that Gundam reeks havoc over Naturals first on PLANT, and then on Earth? What about Orb, Cagalli?" He asked.

Cagalli shook her head violently. "There has to be another way! If this happens, everything will just repeat itself all over again! It's just like saying that anything that threatens us will be shot down! More people will just need to be sacrificed, and it'll never end! Why Kira and Lacus even agreed to doing this is just insane!"

Athrun had closed the door with a soft click. He heaved a sigh as he heard Cagalli's exclamation.

He leaned back against the door, facing Cagalli.

"It might be insane Cagalli, but I did what I think needed to be done. I knew you would try to stop me if I told you, and it's something I have decided to do already. It's not something which I'll be changing my mind on, no matter what you say." He clenched his fists, eyes determined. I won't stand and watch while I know I can do something to stop it. As for Kira, he decided to return to the battlefield himself, and perhaps among all of us, he would have had the biggest reasons not to." He responded.

Cagalli ran her hands through her hair, tugging at it in frustration.

Athrun sat down on the edge of the queen-sized bed, watching Cagalli quietly.

"Damn it!" Cagalli hit the wall with her fist, knowing he was right.

"What's really bothering you, Cagalli?" Athrun asked softly. Something told him that it wasn't simply the decision to fight again, along with having Yzak help build a new Gundam; that had bothered her the most.

"..." Cagalli had no easy answer. The new prospect of war, separation, and death haunted her. She felt that the security that they had fought so hard for was suddenly being shattered. Everything that had become important to her could suddenly be taken away again and she'd be all alone again. Four years ago, she had taken her stance, and she had fought for it. Cagalli was now older, and wiser, she knew that this time, it would not be so simple. Being a part of the council had put constraints on her; whereas before, she had come and gone as she liked. But to not take an active part in fighting meant that she had to leave those who would be doing so. Athrun, Kira and the others were going back into the battlefield, while she and Lacus would be left behind to talk to the people. Cagalli didn't know how she felt about having everyone who was important to her risking their lives while she and Lacus would be protected inside secured walls.

"I don't like it!" Cagalli finally retorted, banging her fist on Athrun's chest. "Why I have to face losing everybody important to me—" She broke off as her emotions threatened to make her cry, clenching her fists tightly as a part of her relived her friends and her father's death.

"You won't lose us." Athrun said quietly, taking hold of Cagalli's clenched fists. "But someone once told me that if the things I can do, things I want to do, things I should do are the same, then I should do it." Cagalli looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly.

"It's an important time to do it, right?" Athrun prodded, gently wiping away the tears that were lining the edge of Cagalli's eyes. "Everybody has something they want to fight for." Athrun's gaze held Cagalli's warmly as he took her hands again. "None of us are going to sacrifice ourselves needlessly. There are things to live for."

"You're turning my words back on me, Athrun Zala." Cagalli frowned, her brow furrowing, her hands went lax in his, and she was looking up at him. Athrun smiled and pulled Cagalli to him, hugging her tightly.

"I'll fight on the battlefield for both of us this time, Cagalli."

* * *

Warmth was the first sensation that flooded his senses. Kira's eyelids slowly opened, amethyst eyes hazy from the nap he had took. His mind registered that his arm had already fallen asleep, and he tried to move it, but a something—rather someone, warm and soft was curled up beside him, using his arm as a pillow. Kira carefully disentangled his numb arm from under Lacus' head. Raising his wrist, he checked his watch and his eyes widened in surprise. They had slept longer than he expected. The sun had already set, and the moon had illuminated the whole room in a soft glow.

Checking on Lacus, who was still sleeping beside him, Kira carefully stood up. Lacus opened her eyes, looking up at him.

"Hi." She greeted him softly, sitting up from bed, pushing her hair back.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Kira smiled and sat back on the edge of the bed.

Lacus nodded, still smiling sleepily. She smoothed down her dress, standing up from the bed. Running her hand through the tangles in her hair, she checked the time.

"Ara...?" She exclaimed in surprise.

Kira shot her a puzzled look. "What's wrong?"

"It's almost time for my video conference with the engineers who helped build the Gundam."

Kira paused.

"I scheduled it when you went to use the bathroom." Lacus explained, noting his surprise. "I didn't expect us to nap for so long." She smiled sheepishly.

Kira chuckled. "I see. I guess you should go get ready now?"

"I should." She smiled. "Yzak already has his crew working on it, he'll be expecting a reply from me soon."

"Lacus, will you be going back with Cagalli to Earth?"

Lacus shook her head. "I'll be staying her in the meantime to wait for the engineers to arrive and to work with Yzak. Cagalli would have stayed also, if she didn't have pressing matters to attend to in Orb. It seems that the people on Earth are also waiting for an answer as to why this happened and who did it. Cagalli and the other Natural council members need to be there to appease them."

"Will there be anybody to escort Cagalli's shuttle back?" Kira asked quietly. Past experiences with how easily shuttles could be targeted and destroyed were not lost on him. Even four years later, shuttles had not been properly upgraded to be protected against mobile suit attacks. He sighed. The fact was it was because none of thought it would be necessary again to take measures for protection against mobile suits attacking shuttles.

Lacus paused. "I'm quite sure Yzak will have a plan in place."

Kira shook his head. "I want escort her shuttle, if that's possible." His eyes met Lacus', his gaze serious.

Lacus met his eyes with understanding. She lifted up her hand and placed it on the side of Kira's face.

"I'll speak to Yzak about it, alright?"

Kira nodded, resting his cheek against her hand. "Thank you." With that, he turned his head, placing a kiss on Lacus' palm.

Lacus smiled softly at him, and placed her hand on his chest, where his shirt covered the ring which she had given him a long time ago. She had prayed then that he would come back to her after the battle, and against all odds, Athrun and Cagalli had found him and brought him back.

Kira noticed where her hand had laid over, and he knew what she was thinking. He smiled at Lacus, leaning down.

"I'll come back Lacus, I promise." He whispered softly, before he lowered his lips to kiss her.

* * *

Sounds of construction and repair work could be heard across the hangar. Yzak stood at the side, observing the workers building the Gundam. A permanent scowl was set on his face as he tried to figure out who had attacked. His thoughts were interrupted as a voice called out,

"Yo, Yzak!"

Yzak turned to direction where the voice was coming from, and saw Dearkka walking towards him.

"What do you want Dearkka? Done wooing that Natural already?" Yzak sniffed disdainfully.

Dearkka rolled his eyes. "She has a name, its Miriallia, you know."

"I know."

Dearkka turned to look at the Gundam being built. "So you're giving both of them one to pilot? Even if they aren't exactly soldiers anymore?"

Yzak kept his gaze fixed on the construction below them. "Not necessarily. Athrun was already a member of the Le Creuset team under ZAFT. He'll be given the Gundam to pilot under the orders of the united council. It's no secret his and Yamato's skill are unmatched when it comes to the mobile suits, which is why the council consented to all of this."

"And the other guy?" Dearkka prodded.

Yzak shrugged. "The Klein faction will take care of that one."

Yzak looked at Dearkka knowingly, his eyes narrowing. "You're itching to pilot one again, aren't you?"

Dearkka grinned. "Planning to give me one?"

"Not unless you're planning to fund the creation of one yourself." Yzak replied, smirking.

"What?!" Dearkka scowled at him.

Yzak smirked again. "You've been reinstated as my subordinate, Dearkka. I've just been given the position of Commander of the Defense Forces against this particular Gundam. I'll need you to assist me."

Dearkka smirked as he saluted Yzak. "I knew you weren't suited for all this diplomatic work."

Yzak scowled at him. "Shut up, Dearkka."

A solider approached both of them, interrupting the banter. He stood up straight, saluting.

"Commander, there's a transmission for you. Where shall we patch it through?"

"Have them patch it through my office." Yzak answered, turning on his heel as Dearkka followed behind him.

Yzak entered his office with the door sliding to a close behind him and Dearkka. He pressed the transmission button and was greeted with the face of Lacus Klein.

"Good Evening."

Yzak nodded in greeting as the screen in front of him split into three, showing the faces of two engineers.

"These two headed the crew which built Justice and Freedom over at ZAFT." Lacus stated simply. "We can have them confer with your engineers until we can safely transfer them from where they are to where the Gundams are being produced."

The two men nodded politely at Yzak. Yzak was surprised. He had not expected Lacus to know who had made Justice and Freedom, how these men were still alive, and how nobody yet had approached them to make a Gundam was beyond him. However, it didn't matter now. He had underestimated the Klein faction's sphere of influence, but the results would be the same. A new Gundam would have to be built to combat the mystery Gundam that they'd have to face.

* * *

Aya felt himself jumpy with excitement. Phase 1 was about to unfold. The princess would be taking a shuttle from PLANT to return to Orb. His mouth curled in a satisfied smile. He made his way down to the hangar, where Fusillade was docked. The operation would commence in a few minutes.

He slipped onto his suit, picking up his helmet. Settling inside Fusillade, he scanned the monitors, pushing buttons that checked for any problems within the mobile suit's Gundam system. Behind him, 3 Zakus were also put on standby.

It would take an hour to reach the rendezvous point where the trap would be set. Removing one of the more powerful representatives of the council would be instrumental in pushing for freedom of Coordinators against the inferior Naturals.

_After all, they asked for this, didn't they? Why are they trying to mask the true nature of humanity? Only the strong survive in this kind of world. _He reasoned to himself.

After this, Aya counted two more people: Lacus Klein and Yzak Joule. Aya wondered if such perfect opportunities would arise again. While not being overly superstitious, Aya believed in such things like fate and destiny. And now destiny was handing him the Princess of Orb over on a silver platter. It was as if fate understood his purpose, and understood his need to exact a fitting punishment on those who deemed it fit for the mediocre and the superior to coexist.

Fusillade was placed over the footholds on the catapult, locking it in place, while Aya hit the button activating the phase shift armor, and waited for the screen to give him clearance to launch.

"_Mobile Suits, clear for launch!"_

"Aya Vasil, Fusillade, launching!"

The catapult made its run, thrusting Aya and his Gundam faster towards the exit, the cord attached to the Gundam's back retracted, while Aya pressed the pedal with his foot, making the boosters kick in and propelling him into flight into the nighttime sky.

They arrived near the airport, where they would intercept the Princess' flight. The mission would be to hinder the shuttle from going back to Orb. If any security measures were placed, like an armed escort, Fusillade's mission would be to destroy the escorts while the Zakus would take over the shuttle.

Aya shrugged. He didn't really care if the Princess was alive or not. However, orders from his superiors had indicated that they had wanted her alive. He chuckled. Not like he was keen on following those particular instructions, but if he had the Princess of Orb, there was one particular coordinator which he was interested in that would probably be more than cooperative just to get her back.

Aya flipped his transmitter, which allowed him to speak to the other mobile suits in his party.

"Keraya, I'm pretty sure they'll have mobile suits as escorts. I'll be holding them off, I want you

to focus on the shuttle. If everything gets complicated, I want you to shoot it down, despite what was said in the briefing room."

Keraya's pale face and amber eyes greeted him. "Roger that."

* * *

Cagalli made her way to launching site, carrying her overnight bag. She had been surprised when she had entered, seeing Athrun wearing the standard red and white pilot suit which now bore the logo of the united council.

"You're piloting the mobile suit for my escort?!" Cagalli stared at Athrun, flabbergasted. Athrun nodded.

"Why not?" He asked.

"No, nothing." Cagalli frowned. "Aren't we being a little too paranoid?"

"With what happened to the other council members, I don't think so." Athrun replied seriously.

Cagalli sighed. "Okay then." She turned, about the board the shuttle, when she saw Kira, also wearing a pilot suit, walk past them.

"Kira!" She called out.

Kira turned and smiled at her, waving.

"What are you doing here?"

"Me and Athrun are escorts for your shuttle back to Earth."

Cagalli groaned.

"Just go board the shuttle already, Cagalli." Athrun prodded. "Kira and I also need to make preparations."

"Alright already!" Cagalli frowned at them. "I'll see you when we land, alright?" Athrun and Kira nodded at her.

The shuttle was spacious and roomy. However, Cagalli couldn't stop fidgeting as the shuttle was taxied onto the runway. She disliked the thought of being protected like some damsel in distress.

"I can fend for myself!" She muttered under her breath, leaning back against her seat and staring outside the window. She could make out five GINNs that were having final adjustments, and Athrun and Kira talking underneath one of them.

Later on, the shuttle launched, flanked by the five GINNs. Cagalli sipped her juice while staring outside.

"Athrun." Kira's voice was heard over the communication systems within the GINN.

"Yes?"

"Did you see the four heat signals detected over to the lower quadrant? The IFF doesn't register them whether they're allies of the united council or not."

"Yes. I'm assuming one of them is that unidentified Gundam." He frowned. "Keep close to the shuttle; we have to concentrate on defense this time. We can't break the formation."

"I understand. Cagalli's our first priority."

Athrun opened his channels for the other 3 GINNs to hear the conversation. "You hear that? Don't break formation."

"Roger!"

Athrun turned as an alarm went off inside the GINN, signaling that one of the four heat sources had broken off and was making its way at an astonishing speed towards their direction. He rapidly calculated the odds of the shuttle making its way to earth if they engaged in battle right there. Zooming the camera in on the flying object made the identity of the mobile suit quite clear. The distinct design of the Gundam was rapidly approaching him. Athrun raised his equipped missile launcher, aiming and locking onto the Gundam. Two shots went off with a bang, whistling through the air and hitting the Gundam. However, as the smoke cleared, the Gundam was still barreling towards the shuttle.

Athrun bit back a curse. The Zakus had also moved around the perimeter of the shuttle, each taking a side. This was no joke. If any of the GINNs were destroyed, it would immediately break the formation, giving the Zakus an opportunity to attack the shuttle.

He raised his shield as the Gundam's Vulcan guns shot at him from a distance, firing back with the heavy assault machine gun equipped on the GINN. The machine gun rattled against the arm, while Athrun opened up communications with the shuttle.

"Tell Representative Athha to board the lifepod. Things might get worse."

The shuttle pilot nodded, reaching for the microphone that brought announcements over to the cabin area.

Aya frowned as the GINN he was engaged in managed to cover the shuttle and evade his attacks at the same time. The GINN was a heavy piece of machine, yet the pilot was somehow managing to evade his attack while minimizing the damages.

Athrun's face was flushed in concentration. They were succeeding in defending the shuttle, but at the same time, they were in a deadlock against the Gundam and the Zakus. Cagalli wouldn't be able to land on earth with the rate things were going, and Athrun knew, that in the long run of the battle, they would be at a disadvantage. His GINN had already consumed half of its power, and the ammunition that they had would be ineffective against the Gundam.

He turned as an explosion went off behind him, his eyes widening as one of the GINNS exploded, and the Zaku's gun was aimed directly at the shuttle.

Things went by as if in slow motion, Athrun and Kira gearing their GINNs towards the Zaku as it pulled the trigger, sending ammunition rounds on the side of the shuttle, boring holes through the thick metal. The Gundams and the other Zaku's were temporarily forgotten as Athrun felt a cold shiver running down his body, while his mouth opened in scream.

"_**CAGALLI!!!"**_

_**

* * *

Chapter 7 Summary:**_

Athrun and Kira board the reconstructed Gundams while holding a fragile hope in the hearts. Aya Vasil has completed Phase 1, but what is his next step? Will an all-out war ensue again?

**Thanks to:**

**_KingArthur6687_**: _I think you know that you need to wait for the next chapter to find the answer to your last comment, hehe!_

_**Yuugiri: **Yes, the picture was of Cagalli and Athrun. :) And there...I...updated! Hehheeh._

_Also, thanks to **Fukari, Doctor Kiba, T.T, lightyearsaway, AnimeSiren, yvonne, M.S. Arashi Sumeragi, Prayer Reverie, dragonspirit888, PsychicIce, KiraLacus/RyomaSakuno Forever, WingZeroUpgraded,Miyama, sango-catkilala,**for their kind comments and reviews!_


	7. Challenge!

Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is the property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, etc. The author claims no right over any of its concepts, characters and locations aside from those created originally for the purposes of the storyline.

A/N: Yay an update ! Busy-ness. This WAS supposed to be released during the holiday season, but it took longer to write than expected, and I've decided to cut the chapter into two because the chapter was getting so long.

Chapter 7 Revised Summary:

Athrun boards the reconstructed Gundam, and while Aya Vasil has completes Phase 1, he also prepares for his next step to realizing his goals.

* * *

Chapter 7: Challenge!

Athrun could not move. Cold shivers ran down his back, his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him. The shuttle had exploded right in front of him, illuminating the sky with a bright red hue. His mind barely registered the static coming through the channel as communications with the shuttle was violently cut off. Athrun's body hunched forward as his hands gripped the controls, feeling a familiar, violent rush within him as his mind's eye saw a green seed break into tiny pieces.

Anger surged through him as his heightened senses took over, his hands and feet moving of their own accord with a single intent—to defeat the Zakus.

Athrun's GINN moved forward, throwing its shoulder against the Zaku, throwing it off course. As the Zaku fell back, damage on its circuitry sent sparks into the air. Athrun pushed forward, locking onto the Zaku and firing consecutive rounds from the GINN's armaments. The Zaku exploded, but Athrun wasted no time in staring at the mobile suit that just exploded in front of him. Instead, he turned to the Zaku that had fired at him, pushing the GINN to its speed limits. Athrun focused on the Zaku that had made the shot, a little closer, and it would be over. He was dimly aware of Kira engaging the other Zaku as he dodged the shots fired by the Zaku in front of him. The Zaku's shot hit true, destroying the GINN's leg. Athrun paid no heed to the destroyed leg as he released the sword on the GINN's waist, swinging it down onto the Zaku, slicing it in half.

"Athrun!"

Athrun glanced at the communicator as it flashed, revealing Kira's face. The Zaku that Kira was engaged with had pulled back, retreating.

"The Gundam seems to be gone, and the other GINNs are low on power."

Athrun frowned, scanning his sensors, confirming what Kira said. He saw a brief flash at the edge of his sensors, before it disappeared. The sensors indicated a heat source moving away at high speed. Turning the damaged GINN, Athrun pressed down, allowing the thrusters to propel him forward in the correct direction, hoping that the sensors would pick up the heat source again.

"Tell the others to fall back. Moving in a group will just slow us down." Athrun commanded, his eyes searching the screen.

Kira matched Athrun's speed, his thrusters at full power. He understood what Athrun was thinking, they wouldn't rest until they found out what happened to Cagalli.

Gundam Fusillade came into view, but surprisingly, it did not pursue either Athrun or Kira as they came to view. Instead, it seemed to be heading towards a small object. Athrun felt his heart constrict painfully as his monitor zoomed in on the object.

Cagalli's unconscious form was floating in space, having had been thrown off from the explosion. Fusillade reached Cagalli first, and Athrun caught his first glimpse of the pilot who had single handedly shaken peace efforts from both sides. Clad in a pilot suit of blue, white and gray, the pilot had opened up communications with Athrun and Kira's GINNs.

"If you don't want her to become one of those tiny particles floating around in space, I suggest you stop where you are." Aya's voice rang clear through the communicator, while Fusillade's arm moved, the barrel of Fusillade's beam rifle aiming directly at Cagalli.

"Who are you?" Athrun's voice was low, jade eyes staring intently at Aya's cold gray ones. He wanted to go to Cagalli, to check if she was alive. If she wasn't…Athrun pushed the thought away, trying to focus on the situation they were currently in.

"You'll figure it out." Aya smiled, albeit cruelly.

"What do you want from us?" Kira interjected, his eyes dashing from the prone form of his sister to his communicator.

"Why two Coordinators would protect a Natural is surprising. In fact, it's downright absurd." Aya remarked.

"I believe it's more absurd indiscriminately kill innocents for some selfish, unknown motive." Athrun answered, wishing he could just check on Cagalli.

"I can't believe that two men, who must have killed hundreds of people for their own personal, unexplained motives, along with the daughter of a man who burned down a whole country, could honestly believe that they were 'discriminate' in killing." Aya retorted, eyes narrowing. "But that's beside the point. Right now, we're going to play a little game. It's where you and your GINNs, will be my puppets, and me, of course, will be the puppeteer."

"What?!" Kira and Athrun exclaimed in unison.

Aya only smirked again. "If the puppets don't want to cooperate, then I pull the trigger that turns her into space dust."

"We don't even know if she's alive!" Kira protested.

"Would you like to wait longer to find out? I'm sure that life suit will last only a few more seconds before the oxygen runs out, then she'll really be dead." Aya mocked.

"Now, what will it be?"

Athrun bit back a curse. The question of how were they going to get out of this ran through his head. He knew he had no choice. His mind quickly ran through his options, hoping for an alternative, finding none. Athrun took a deep breath, taking a quick glance at Kira, who grudgingly nodded.

"What do you want us to do?"

Aya chuckled. "It's simple really." His eyes narrowed as looked at Cagalli. "Bring her to me."

Fusillade raised its other arm, pointing it towards Athrun's damaged GINN.

"I want you to do it. Hover your GINN close enough and get her yourself."

Athrun swallowed, doing as Aya instructed. He debated on snatching up Cagalli and retreating back into the GINN.

"Don't even think about it." Aya's voice interrupted Athrun's thoughts. "If you make a move in the wrong direction, I'm going to just kill you both. And even if you get back to the GINN, you'll have 1.2 seconds before that hatch closes. How much are you willing to bet that I can fire this beam rifle through that GINN before that?"

Athrun scowled. It'd do no good to keep debating about it and have Cagalli die as he took his time trying to decide. Obediently, he hovered his GINN beside Cagalli. Unfastening the straps that held him to his seat, he pushed himself in Cagalli's direction. He took her limp form against him, quickly assessing Cagalli's condition. There was still oxygen left in the suit, and relief passed through Athrun as he noticed her breathing. A glimpse of Fusillade's beam rifle and its barrel brought Athrun back to reality. He slipped an arm around Cagalli's waist, turning both of them in the direction of the Gundam.

The hatch opened, revealing Aya's lithe form. He was pointing a gun at the approaching couple, seemingly calm.

Inside the GINN, Kira bit his lip in frustration. Aya had positioned Fusillade perfectly. He couldn't fire on Fusillade without risking Athrun or Cagalli being caught in the ensuing explosion.

Athrun stepped onto the Gundam, holding Cagalli's limp form. Aya still had his gun pointed at them.

"Very good." Aya drawled out, his gray eyes following Athrun's movements carefully. "Now, I'd like you to push her in my direction."

Athrun's hand tightened voluntarily on Cagalli, but he did as Aya said, slowly letting go of Cagalli.

Aya caught Cagalli, his free hand wrapping around her shoulders. Shooting the ground in front of Athrun,

"You can go." He declared.

"What are you going to do with her?!" Athrun demanded.

"That's none of your business." Aya replied, taking a few steps back until he was inside the cockpit, hitting a button that closed the hatch. Athrun was left no choice but to step back, or be crushed between two pieces of reinforced Gundanium.

Athrun fell back, silently cursing.

* * *

Aya glanced at the unconscious girl beside him, her face obscured by the face cover that had helped her survive. He mused at her luck. He had fully intended to kill her earlier. But he had found a better idea as soon as he saw the two GINN pilots he had confronted. Aya's lips quirked in amusement. Even with the enhanced abilities of coordinators, they still had not conquered what Aya considered the greatest weakness of all—human emotion.

Aya had honed himself into not allowing sentimentality to get in his way. There was only one thing important to him, and he would achieve it once everything was over. For Aya, to see that his opponents felt sentimentality was an affirmation of their weakness which Aya fully intended to exploit.

Aya landed back on to base. Exiting Fusillade, he relinquished Cagalli to the medics, who were on standby at the hangars.

"Make sure she's still alive." He instructed as he pulled off his helmet, loosening the zipper that held the collar of his suit closed.

The medics saluted, whisking Cagalli off to the infirmary. Aya walked through the narrow hallway leading back to the main hall.

He entered the boardroom, flipping switches that turned monitors on in front of him. Faces filled up the video screen, illuminating the room with a soft glow. Aya sat down and leaned back at his chair.

"I have her."

The men facing him nodded; their satisfaction evident through the flat monitor. Aya kept his face impassive as a wave of disgust went through him. He was facing men who were traitors to their own kind. Too cowardly to act on their own, they choose to let people like him do their dirty work.

They had approached a war-hardened youth, offering him chances for revenge and change. They hid under masks of generosity, while all they wanted was to secure their places in the world as Coordinators with power who could wield their influence over masses of Coordinators, enriching themselves through pushing so-called ideals which naïve Coordinators believed and funded.

"We need to launch Phase 2." One of the men scowled at Aya. "You have yet to get Lacus Clyne and Yzak Joule out of the way."

Aya stared at him, his gray eyes flashing dangerously. "Of course. How could I forget? Apparently all 9 of you don't have enough influence to convince 7 other members to declare war, when three 20 year-olds can convince them to do what they want in a matter of an hour."

Aya watched as his statement caused brows to snap together irritably, and nearly all of them started speaking at the same time to try and put him in his place.

"I'll contact you again, gentlemen." Aya interrupted smoothly, and shut off the monitors.

* * *

Cagalli's eyes opened slightly, her gaze settling on an unfamiliar ceiling. Every part of her body felt sore and bruised. Trying to remember the events that had transpired, she recalled that she put on a body suit and had tried to close the hatch on the lifepod. It had gotten stuck, and as she was trying to close it, there was an explosion that threw her back…and then everything had went black. She didn't remember how she could have gotten where she was, and it didn't look like a place which she had been to before.

Cagalli groaned as she tried to sit up. It was taking more effort than she thought. It sent sparks of pain shooting through her as she put pressure on tender parts of her body, making think she was probably thrown back against something rather hard. Making a face at the thin hospital gown she was in, she slipped from the bed, intending to roam around to see where she was. Before she could act on the thought, the door opening, revealing the man standing behind it.

"I see you're finally awake."

Cagalli's honey brown eyes met with Aya Vasil's steel gray ones. Something about him seemed familiar to her, yet she couldn't recall a time when she would have met him.

"Who are you? Where am I?" She inquired, her voice slightly wary.

Aya bowed slightly.

"I am Aya Vasil. You're at an infirmary at this military base, you've been unconscious for two days now."

Aya held Cagalli's gaze as he answered her question. He seemed to be watching her closely, waiting for a reaction. Her face showed no fear at all, only curiosity as she regarded him frankly.

"What do you want?"

Aya felt himself shake his head at the girl in front of him. It seemed like she didn't understand the situation she was in.

"I think a member of the United Council wouldn't even need to ask that." He replied. "I'm sure your influence would be helpful in a lot of ways, Cagalli Yula Attha."

Cagalli frowned as she understood what he was implying. She shook her head at him, her gaze defiant. "I won't let you manipulate me so easily, Aya Vasil."

Aya's lips quirked.

"I look forward to the challenge, Ms. Attha"

With that, Aya bowed and left.

* * *

Lacus had met up with Kira when he and Athrun had come back. Neither of the two boys had spoken after they had landed the GINNs, their somber expressions on their faces told the story for them. Piece by piece, Kira and Athrun relayed the situation to both Lacus and Yzak. The rest of his time was spent trying to figure out the locations where the Gundam they had encountered could have landed on. So far, they had no leads onto where it could have gone. It would take more time to narrow it down. Cagalli's kidnapper had not contacted them with any demands. To not know her situation, and to not know how to get her back had started to wear Athrun out. Lacus had pulled Athrun aside, firmly telling him to get some rest. He had reluctantly left the room which he had been working in, and returned to his assigned room. He had no plans of getting rest, as even if he had wanted to, it would elude him until he was able to find some answers. Deciding on a shower to clear his head, Athrun entered the bathroom. He rested a hand against the cold tile of the bathroom wall, steadying himself. Warm water trickled down his bare back as he tried to contain his frustration. It had been a week since he had landed the damaged GINN, and fury still consumed him. He had carefully kept it in check, reasoning to himself that there was nothing he could do now but try to get her back. It was his fault that he had handed her over to their current adversary, and in doing so, had given them an important instrument wherein they could be coerced to do whatever their adversary wanted. Now, she was lost somewhere in space, and there were a thousand possibilities on where that Gundam could have landed. A soft beeping sound interrupted his thoughts of self-reproach and frustration, alerting him that someone was on the other end of the communication line.

He slipped on a bathrobe, and pressed a red button that allowed the communication lines to be opened. The video screen beside the button popped up, bringing him face to face with Yzak.

"Do you remember where we convened for our first mission?"

Athrun nodded his assent.

"We'll meet you there."

The monitor abruptly went off, leaving Athrun to his thoughts. He went and got dressed, slipping on a military uniform that they had recently issued to him; something that he had not thought he'd wear ever again. It bore a new insignia representing the United Council's defense forces.

Athrun arrived at the base, remembering the first time he was there, as they prepared to invade Orb and capture the G units, as they had once called them. Things had seemed so simple then, everything in black and white. However, in their present situation, there was no distinction between committing acts of right and wrong; only a hope to live in a world where everyone could live peacefully. Athrun walked over to the entrance, and soldiers who were on guard saluted him, and allowed him access. He made his way down the once familiar hallways, and entered the hangar area.

Yzak was already there, accompanied with Dearkka. Both their faces were solemn as Athrun made his way towards them.

Yzak faced him as the lights behind him turned on one by one, slowly revealing a familiar silhouette.

"Ready for your first mission under the United Council's Defense Forces?"

Athrun nodded silently, his gaze drawn onto the Mobile Suit behind Yzak.

"I hereby order you to rendezvous with Kira Yamato according to my navigation instructions, and bring back Representative Athha to safety."

Athrun's hand went up as he saluted Yzak, who mirrored his actions.

Boarding the Gundam, he pressed the buttons that brought Justice to full power. Athrun maneuvered the Gundam to the platform where the catapult was located, and waited for his turn to launch.

The lights went from red to green, as the CIC's face popped up on the screen, confirming his clearance.

"Athrun Zala, Justice, Taking Off!

* * *

Chapter 8 Summary:

Members of United Council increases pressure on both Yzak and Lacus to go into war as another attack on Naturals ensue, while Milly realizes she has her own battles to fight while the rest go to the battlefield.

To all those who review and push me to update:

_Yuugiri, Transmobilesuit, Fukari, KingArthur6687, MS Arashi Sumeragi, DeathZealot, Angel of Dreams, XStarryNightX, Tintin-chan, Doctor Kiba, Miyama, lightyearsaway, FreedomT1, Fantasia3, hlin, Maya, xxravenwingxx, xiaoj, Demonlover355_

Thanks again!


	8. The Knights

**Disclaimer: Gundam Seed is the property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, etc. The author claims no right over any of its concepts, characters and locations aside from those created originally for the purposes of the storyline.**

Chapter 8 Summary: Members of United Council increases pressure on both Yzak and Lacus to go into war as another attack on Naturals ensue, while Milly realizes she has her own battles to fight while the rest go to the battlefield.

* * *

Chapter 8: The Knight

Athrun leaned back on his seat, scanning his monitors for his current coordinates. The space around him was quiet, with some stars shining from far off. He blinked tiredly, and leaned back against his seat. It would take a few more hours to rendezvous with Kira. They were to meet halfway, and from there, begin their search for the Fusillade. He had adjusted Justice's sensors to pick up any movement that could come from a mobile suit, and if his luck proved to be on his side, the mother ship that housed it.

It wouldn't be easy. Athrun mused. Even with current technology, space was too vast to be searching around blindly. Sensors still had their limits in terms of the radius in which it could detect movement. He felt tense, not wanting to miss a single alert from the sensors. The feeling of uneasiness kept him awake, and he mentally replayed himself pushing Cagalli's prone form towards Fusillade's pilot again and again in his mind, and wondering what happened after then. Was she alright? Was he touching her, hurting her? What did he want from her? He imagined Cagalli looking at him with angry eyes, betrayed and hurt that he had given her up without fighting. The feeling poured through him like acid. He had told Cagalli that he would fight for both of them this time, yet she had been taken away to fight for herself, straight into enemy territory, no less.

Athrun suppressed a groan of frustration, mentally smacking himself to get a grip. If this continued on, he'd probably make himself crazy. His thoughts were already a jumbled mass which were never articulated, but nonetheless ran in no less than an eloquent, dramatic manner which in certain cases, just wouldn't shut up. He needed to focus now, and face Cagalli's anger when it came. In fact, Athrun reflected, that if he saw Cagalli and she slapped him hello, he might find more consolation. At least then, he knew that she was healthy and alive and well enough to do such a thing. In fact, if Cagalli saw him now, she'd probably scold him again. A reluctant smile hovered against his lips as he remembered the time where he had purposely stayed out of the meeting to think. She had come to him then, exiting the bridge.

"_You were here all along!" Cagalli called out._

"_Hm?" Athrun turned._

"_Are you thinking something in that head of yours? Thinking by yourself isn't going to solve anything. That's why everyone is at the bridge, making plans together. Don't be absent at a time like this." She lectured._

"_I'm sorry." He answered._

The thought brought a constricting pain in Athrun's chest. He needed to get Cagalli back. The Justice pilot took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cagalli."

* * *

Milly laid down the flowers she was carrying, closing her eyes as the breeze passed before reopening them again. In front of her was a memorial, it listed the names of those who had died as the war was being fought. It was a testament to those who had lost their lives, ensuring that they would be remembered, and their names— both Coordinators and Naturals were etched onto the smooth granite. It was a massive piece of stone which spanned several meters, standing as a solitary monument and memorial to the thousands who were now gone. The walkway was surrounded by flowers, left by the friends and families of the deceased. Identical memorials had been built around certain places on Earth and PLANT as a symbol of goodwill between Naturals and Coordinators, and a promise that history should never be repeated.

She traced her hand over the black granite, pausing at the names of the people she knew, her hand finally stopping at the name she was looking for.

_Tolle Koenig_

Whatever monologue she was supposed to have with Tolle was interrupted by the crunch of leaves behind her. Immediately, Milly was alert. Perhaps it was not the best of ideas for a Natural to visit a memorial erected in PLANT with the current situation as it was. Trying to keep calm, she noted that the memorial area was deserted. It should have her struck her as odd a while ago, but she had been happy that she could visit the memorial in private that she had failed to take notice of such an oddity.

She would make a run for it if she had to. She had only brought the flowers. She had not brought anything that could even remotely be used as a weapon. Slowly, Milly looked up. She froze as she saw the reflection of the person through the black granite, her eyes widening. All too familiar blue-gray eyes met hers on the surface of the polished granite, while wavy, dark, chocolate brown hair was tossed in the direction of the air.

She turned carefully, as if the apparition behind her would disappear if she moved too quickly.

"To…lle…?"

The person in front of her smiled, it was the same honest, easy-going smile that she remembered, one that she hadn't seen in four years.

Milly felt her eyes misting. There was no way that what was in front of her couldn't be true, could it?

"Milly…"

* * *

A few meters away, Dearkka paused at the scene unfolding before him.

He had been on his way back to meet up with Yzak, until he had caught a glimpse of Milly at the memorial. He had noticed how empty it was, as usually there would be a small yet consistent crowd milling within the memorial park. A nagging feeling had come over him, and he had found himself silently watching her place the flowers trace the name on the granite.

He had kept himself hidden from view via the oversized bushes that were grown around the perimeter of the memorial. He had a pretty good idea of who she was visiting, though he had never asked Milly what that person's name was.

He had heard the footsteps long before she did, and had taken out the gun he always carried— _just in case_. There had been a subtle sign of tension in her when she had heard the person approach, telling Dearkka that whoever it had been, they had been uninvited. He had then maneuvered himself to a perfect position, where he could easily shoot the guy, should he try anything funny with Milly, but one that would also provide the cover that he needed.

* * *

"Where were you? Why didn't you contact me to tell me you were alive?" Milly rubbed her eyes, wiping away here tears. She took an uneasy step toward Tolle, wondering yet again if this was some kind of dirty trick being played on her.

The ground suddenly shook, and a blast reverberated throughout the memorial. Fighter planes and mobile suits appeared in the sky, casting shadows over the terrain. The blast was strong enough to knock Milly off her feet, and she winced at impact, looking over Tolle who looked terrified from the sound. Without warning, he shot off, leaving Milly.

"No! Tolle!" She called out. "Come back!"

Milly found herself staring at Tolle's retreating back, bewildered that he would just leave her. Another blast threatened to crack the ground that she fell upon, before a pair of strong arms lifted her up, and she was brought face to face with Dearkka.

"Dearkka!" Milly exclaimed, surprised.

Dearkka flashed her one of his cocky grins, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I'd love to hear the gushing praise for knight in shining armor, but it just has to wait until I'm sure our heads aren't going to be blown off."

Milly stared at him, mouth agape. "What!"

Dearkka shook his head and grinned, happy that he distracted her. He turned and surveyed the landscape around him, looking for the best path. Deciding, he grabbed Milly's hand, he ran towards the direction of the base, using the trees and bushes as cover for their ascent up to the path that led to the military bases.

Milly ran behind him, her mind whirling with the events of the day. However, Dearkka was running too fast, and Milly lagged behind, nearly tripping over a body that had collapsed by the path.

Her mind returned back to the time in Heliopolis, when she had ran like this, it was Tolle who had held her hand and guided her on their way to the shelter. Like before, they had to run around people who had literally drop dead in front of her. Her body froze at the memory, and she stopped running.

Dearkka turned to see why she had stopped, and saw the body that laid crumpled by Milly's feet. He pulled her aside, and shook her.

"Milly!"

"Tolle…I need to go after him." Milly replied bleakly. "I saw him, he was afraid. You see, he came back to me. He was alive after all. I need to help him!"

Dearkka's violet eyes met Milly's desperate blue ones. He shook his head.

"Who is Tolle, Milly?"

Milly stared at her hands. "Toelle Koenig…boy…friend…piloted sky…grasper…the blue…and red plane." She replied in a small voice.

Dearkka's eyes widened.

"He's alive?"

"I think so…"

Dearkka sighed and looked at Milly, making sure her attention was focused on him.

"Keep going up the path until you reach a cave. Go inside and keep going left, and then at the junction, take a right."

Dearkka slipped an ID out of his pocket, and placed it on Milly's hands, along with his gun.

"When you reach the end, ask them to let you in the base, I'll meet you there. Use my pass to get in, understand?"

"Dearkka?" Milly looked at him, confused.

"Tell me you understand me, Milly." Dearkka's voice sounded sharper than usual.

Slowly, Milly nodded.

"Smart Girl." Dearkka managed a grim smirk. "Now go. I'll find him for you. I'll have you know I don't save men very often."

Milly looked up at him. "But…"

Dearkka shook his head. "Run as fast as you can, and don't look back. Now go!"

Milly ran.

She made her way up the path and onto a clearing. She stopped looking around her, concentrating on reaching the end of the path. She panted from the effort, while she held the gun tightly, praying that she wouldn't have to use it. The ground shook from more blasts, making Milly wonder if it would ever stop. Eventually, she reached the cave. Bearing Dearkka's instructions to mind, she walked into the darkness, keeping her hand on the left side of the wall, walking briskly until she reached the junction he mentioned, and took a right. She eventually reached a gate and fumbled around for the pass, and used it to gain access inside the base.

As she entered, she bumped into Yzak, who was impatiently staring at the gate. His face held a look of annoyance, and he glanced at her and the pass she was holding.

"So, where is he?" Yzak demanded.

"He went to look for…someone." Milly replied, out of breath.

Yzak scowled. Milly was saved from his temper when a solider came in, saluting him. Returning the soldier's salute with a brief one of his own, Yzak gave his permission for the soldier to proceed.

"Sir, we received a transmission. The council wishes for a situation report."

Yzak nodded and turned to the solider.

"Settle her in one of the rooms, and make sure this meeting remains undisturbed."

The soldier saluted in compliance.

"Please follow me."

Milly followed him silently through the maze of corridors until he opened the door for her in a room. She stepped inside and sat down on the bunk bending her knees and resting her forehead against it.

"Tolle…Dearkka…"

* * *

Yzak turned his attention to monitors in front of him as the doors shut behind Milly. He pressed the buttons which would connect the video conference, and sat back in his seat. Concerned faces of the council members appeared before him, and he nodded in greeting as he began his briefing.

"What's happening out there?" Lacus' concerned voice was the first one to break the silence, asking the inevitable question.

"I'm sure you saw for yourself. Jets and mobile suits have appeared around this PLANT, dropping of bombs and missiles at public areas that have a recorded higher density of Naturals. Whoever it was managed to plant devices onto the mobile suits that were placed to fight against this purpose, and is wreaking havoc right now."

One of the council members interrupted him. He was a high-ranking official of the Earth Alliance during the war, and had old-fashioned sentiments about governing.

"This is an outrage! What are you Coordinators doing about this? You should be happy that Naturals haven't decided to go to war because of this!"

Yzak narrowed his eyes at him.

"Sir, we have already deployed mobile suits to counteract this, along with the police and firefighters who have moved the people to shelters, along with diffusing the fires caused by the explosion."

Another council member frowned.

"PLANT's resources and property are being destroyed, yet all you can think about is how this is the Coordinator's fault? We built the PLANTs, for goodness sake! Do you think we aren't upset that somebody is trying to destroy the home we've built with our hands? Why would we bother to destroy our property for the sake of killing a few measly Naturals? What have YOU Naturals done to prevent this from occurring? All you do is sit there and complain!"

"Please, we must stop this." Lacus interjected.

"No we will not! It was wrong to think that Naturals and Coordinators could live peacefully in the first place. We will send an advisory for Naturals to return to Earth as soon as possible to avoid any more of this insanity!"

Yzak scowled.

"Do you forget that the Princess' of Orb's shuttle was shot down? Do you want more Naturals to suffer the same fate? And what about the Gundam which shot her down? It was neither affiliated with Naturals nor Coordinators. Would you so easily fall into his manipulation?"

* * *

Aya Vasil watched in amusement as the council's meeting concluded before him.

_Stupid old fools._

* * *

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